racial equity

This project will enable a multi-ethnic group of professional art instructors to conduct a series of educational workshops for students at International School #45 in Buffalo, New York. Drawing upon their wide array of ethnic backgrounds (including Russian, Mexican, Italian and African), Artfully AWARE instructors will utilize their own experiences of integrating into American society to create workshops held both during and after school hours to incorporate the participation of students’ families.

Art instructors will teach weeklong workshops dedicated to a rotating variety of art forms including fine art, theater, dance and music; which will also be documented by students through photographs and film. Final art creations will be featured both within the interactive Virtual Community Gallery and at a local Buffalo arts institution, providing engaging environments where students and families can interact with the larger community. Workshops will also engage students and their families in dialogues about racism and tolerance. Buffalo residents will awaken to the richness of the immigrant cultures in their midst, creating a safe place where prejudices are lessened and racial healing becomes a reality.